Commuters, travelers, and local residents alike are faced with transportation needs that have been unmet to this day. Short distance travels between transportation centers (such as bus, train, taxis, shuttle stations, etc.) and final destinations still have very few options outside of walking or driving. Additionally, government statistics show that short distance travels in the range 1 to 3 miles account for more than 50% of Urban and Suburban traffic on the road at any given time. The data further shows that 37.5% of road vehicles are actually driving 1 mile or less, which adds to the continuous roadway congestion experience for most of the 489 metropolitan areas in the United States. Public transportation systems do not extend to every street in a city or town, and doing so would only just add to the congestion problem. There is a need for a solution to urban and suburban traffic congestion which addresses the first and last mile commute problem.
Vehicle share programs, where people either share the use of their own or business vehicle or rent a vehicle from a rental company, are popular throughout the world, largely differing only in the type or model of vehicle in use. Traditional vehicle rental and ride share programs have been around for decades and all operate under the same basic model. This model uses centralized hubs, store fronts, and kiosks as locations where customers and users can travel to and rent a vehicle. To complete their rental transaction, the customer can either return the vehicle to the same location, or in many cases, to a remote satellite location. This system's methodology still requires users, in most cases, to travel to and from the point of pickup or return. Only in the largest of centralized transit hubs, such as airports, are rental vehicles, shuttles, buses, taxis and train connections available at the hub itself. In most cases, there are no direct public transit options to and from the pickup locations, making this rental model unsuitable for first and last mile transportation.
Furthermore, in the case of a standard car rental the process can be complicated, often requiring a separate shuttle to take the user to the “over-the-counter” rental hub. Recently, several new rental models have emerged which aim to address the growing “Share” economy and make use of new mobile app technology to streamline the rental process. In the new model, the central hub is replaced with individual cars located in regular parking lots and garages throughout a metropolitan or suburban area. This reduces the operating overhead cost and enables a cost model that is in line with other commute options. Vehicles are equipped with GPS tracking devices and their locations are indicated from within a mobile app. Users select and reserve a vehicle, but still need to get to the vehicle which may be several miles away. While this model of car rental simplifies the rental process over the current standard, the vehicles are still not accessible enough to address the first and last mile problem. Moreover, this vehicle rental/sharing method does nothing to address congestion due to overcrowded roadways as it only adds cars to existing automobile traffic. Additionally, renting a car requires the user be licensed locally to be in compliance with the law.
Direct route shuttles and buses are an alternative to renting cars for short distance travel and commuting. This solution is employed by many corporate campuses, business parks, universities, hotels, resorts, municipal and metropolitan transit authorities as well as governmental agencies to provide some level of direct short distance transportation to workers, students, and other travelers. Specifically, employers contract shuttle services to transport commuters from train and bus stations directly to company buildings. Companies continually alter shuttle routes within communities based on requests to optimize the first and last mile commute for their employees. Public transit agencies will often employ temporary bus bridges to handle added traffic due to special events. Direct route shuttles can be more effective than individual cars for curtailing traffic and individualizing first and last mile commutes, however these shuttles are still subject to the same traffic delays as all other vehicles on the road. Additionally, unless it is a door-to-door shuttle, users still need to get to the pickup location, which may be several blocks away. Once a user arrives at the shuttle pickup location, there is no guarantee that they will not have to wait for a delayed shuttle. Advances in mobile communication technology have enabled new versions of taxi and ride share services offering enhanced visibility into timing, delays, and traffic conditions. These platforms, while offering a convenient method for making ride reservations and adding ride alternatives to the standard public transportation or shuttle service offerings, at their core are no different to existing services, putting more cars on the local roads and adding to congestion.